Bizspace Spotlight

Most of us know what it’s like to work for a great leader — one who inspires us and fosters success across the team. And sadly, most of us know what it’s like to work for a bad manager — one who kills creativity and our ability to thrive.

What is that special ingredient that makes a great leader great? Is there a trait that sets aside the good from the great?

I recently met with a new creative director on my team and I asked him how everything was going. He said, “I’ve never really worked for a manager like you before.” I asked if this was a good or bad thing. He paused for a moment, looking for the right words, and said, “You have empathy.”

“You clearly know how much is on my plate, but you also seem to understand what my challenges are and what my needs are. And because of that, you help me accomplish my goals," he said.

Empathy is a word we rarely think about in a business setting, yet it’s actually the most important leadership trait you can have.

It is the ability to put yourself in other people’s shoes, to think how they think, feel how they feel, and know how they will react. Empathy gives you knowledge and perception that helps you tailor your actions to get the most positive response. This new creative director has to balance demands from people across the organization, meet tight deadlines, manage a team, and still find quiet time for creative design work. Because I know this, I am conscious about how I give him tasks and how I can help remove his unique barriers to success.

I want all of my team members to have an environment where they can thrive, grow, and feel comfortable. One person may need some obstacles removed, another may need lots of discussion and collaboration, and another may prefer to be left alone and work independently. If I can truly understand each of my team members’ needs and what motivates them, then I can help foster the best environment for each individual. As a result, performance increases across the organization.

Let’s not confuse empathy with sympathy.

Just because someone has a lot on their plate and may feel overwhelmed doesn’t mean that expectations or workloads are lowered. It’s about understanding what one needs to excel, not showing pity or reducing expectations.

So how can you develop empathy? Try to think of how you would feel in another person’s situation. Consciously think of how members of your team will react to your requests and picture their potential advantages and opportunities while figuring out how you can help remove their obstacles. I know I’m a demanding manager with high expectations, but I’d like to think I would never ask or expect more from my team than I would from myself.

Empathy is not just for managers. It’s an incredibly valuable trait in any role. As a marketer, I need to understand how my buyers will respond to my programs. Does my website make visitors want to engage? Will my campaign compel them to make a buying decision? These are the questions my team is faced with every day. The more we can put ourselves in our buyers’ shoes and understand what makes them tick, the more we can deduce how they will respond, which helps us excel in our role.

Stacey Epstein is chief marketing officer at ServiceMax, which provides software solutions for service companies. Previously, Epstein was vice president of Global Marketing Communications at SuccessFactors, where she pioneered the marcomm function and was instrumental in the company’s successful IPO in 2007. She has held various leadership roles at ServiceSource, Clarify and Oracle, and she has two decades of SaaS, CRM, service management, and enterprise application experience.